Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 420 Still That "Taipingzhou"? [1 words]

"Good evening, everyone in Night City. This is your best buddy Stan."

"Yesterday's dead man's lottery—"

"Sorry, I've switched channels again. All the sponsors of Dead Man's Lottery have gone bankrupt and gone out of business. Isn't Night City a 'thriving' and prosperous place?"

"Please help me, this is so realistic..."

"Two years have passed since the blockade of Taiping Island was lifted. Together with DRAR, which is based here, we have carried out a major transformation of Taiping Island... Honestly, the company has done a much better job than those bastards in Night City!"

"Standing in the toxic fumes of Santo Domingo, if you can see beyond the barbed wire fence, you'll find that the Imperial Hotel has been transformed into a livable skyscraper..."

The car wasn't going fast, and V was driving very carefully.

As Lin Yue listened to Stanley's daily rant on the radio, his car happened to arrive near the Imperial Hotel.

Decades ago, the collective withdrawal of investment by Taipingzhou developers left this town, which aimed to develop beach tourism, utterly decayed. Landmarks such as Colonel Hansen's Gemstone Green in Dogtown had attracted a lot of money, but the sudden war destroyed them.

The dreamers did not choose to continue the transformation according to the city's development goals.

When Girafah chose to participate in the Taiping Island redevelopment, these tall buildings with solid foundations and excellent structures became residences…

What you see.

The entire exterior of the Imperial Department Store was coated with a deep blue anti-corrosion paint, and some of the unfinished exposed floors were sealed off. This building, which was as large as two Pedro Petrochemical Stadiums, finally became an ideal place for many people to shelter from the wind and rain.

Emma also gave the building a very interesting name: Hope.

The community's security was entirely handled by Dreamers, and these "criminals" who had once struggled to survive on Taiping Island, lacking food and clothing, also received orders from Dreamers...

In the short term, this self-sustaining urban system is very stable, but it is not a long-term solution.

In an effort to prevent the population of Taiping Island from surging, the Dreamers once considered using violence to prevent people from crossing the border.

Just then, the beleaguered officials of Night City joined forces with the Night Clan to build a high wall along the border of Taiping Continent.

The privatized NCPD received an order from Night City officials—any Night City resident who trespasses into Pacifica without cause will be shot down by machine guns on the high walls.

The number of people living inside [Hope] is nearly twice that of the Night City Japan Street skyscrapers, making it the largest population gathering facility in Taiping Island.

There is no doubt that Emma's methods are very tough. Anyone who does not comply with the community guidelines within Dreamers Security Company will be expelled, and some stubborn gang members will be subjected to a bloody crackdown... Lin Yue knows that there have been no fewer than ten operations against the Cleaners.

Moreover, the soldiers responsible for cleaning up the streets were elite troops trained by the dreamers…

Under the threat of using cannons to kill mosquitoes, Taipingzhou, once a paradise for cleaners, has become a dead zone for them. Apart from Dog Town, no cleaners dare to wander around anymore.

"You're quite resourceful, aren't you?"

V looked at the Hope building and the surrounding roads and environment that had been tidied up. The pedestrians on the road were not particularly dense, but it was far from the dazed state of the streets of Night City.

"Speaking of which..."

V paused.

She wasn't one to hold grudges. "Aren't you going to have the doctor check on Emma? Her control over the Pacific drugs has reached a terrifying level... and you know, she's only somewhat normal when you're around."

Perhaps Emma had experienced the horror of drugs like Flash, which is why the first requirement for entry into Pacific Island was no history of drug abuse.

This is quite strict for Night City; at least... the healing medicines readily available in Night City are considered excessive.

The car slowly came to a stop, and the two people sitting inside felt the ground shake!
The holographic traffic light on the road displayed a bright red indicator light resembling the silhouette of a giraffe.

The two, unfazed by the sight, watched as all the vehicles at the intersection came to a halt, and a Giraffe III, over ten meters tall and designed in the style of a giraffe, slowly passed through the intersection.

These robots, which can almost outperform large engineering machinery, are extremely cheap. Girafa offered Dreamers a rental arrangement, with a one-year usage right including software licensing costing 100,000 euros.

“Emma has the right to choose her own life. You know V—being abnormal is actually her protective shield. She doesn’t hold back against anyone, and she needs that.”

"But I..."

V listened to the answer from the person next to him and just smiled.

"This is how I imagined Night City to be."

"Compared to driving through the streets of Night City and risking being hit by stray bullets from gangs at any moment, this place is more suitable for living."

Lin Yue laughed and made a joke.

"How about the renowned Night City Arasaka Special Operations Director jump ship to our Dreamers?"

V glanced at Rin, with an expression that said, "I know, but I won't say anything."

"You need someone like me, don't you? To be honest, before this I had no idea what our life should be like, but I... want to continue like this."

"To change the world, isn't that what Lai Hsuan also wants?"

Lin Yue nodded seriously.

“V, I never interfere with your choices. The company is a suitable environment for you, but that doesn’t mean our world needs companies.”

V remained silent for a moment.

"Lai Xuan's actions show me a more morbid method of power control than Arasaka Saburo. Why do you trust Lai Xuan so much? He is ruthless in purging his enemies. Aren't you afraid of the backlash?"

This kind of thing…

Lin Yue knew this was his trump card.

But to put the girl's mind at ease, he said, "If Lai Xuan were to betray the original intention of our cooperation, he would be the next Arasaka Saburo."

Stanley on the radio was talking at length about somewhere else.

Lin Yue was actually quite curious about this guy's true identity, since there were rumors in Night City that Stanley was an AI disguised as a radio host.

But there is no doubt that Stanley also had his own motives.

Lin Yue knew that he had tried to help the company cover up the truth about Dogtown, and now he was willing to offend the Night City officials to promote the good of Taipingzhou, without mentioning other companies, and even promoted Dreamers.

Everyone knows the heart of Sima Zhao.

There's nothing shameful about endorsing the company; Lin Yue just considered it a way to pass the time on the road.

"If you had come to Night City two years ago, I would have told you that this place is full of gold. As long as you're bold enough, you can walk around the streets like a king—do a big heist, get all the street fame, and become a legendary figure in Night City!"

"But it's clear that even the most awesome Night City legend in history couldn't escape one rule: it ended up buried in a graveyard."

"Remember the dreamer I mentioned? Rumor has it that the actual controller of this company is a guy named Rin..."

V found it funny.

She gently covered her mouth with the back of her hand, hiding her smirk that was about to burst out laughing. "I'm talking to you! Legendary figure..."

Lin Yue rolled his eyes.

"If some street punk said he wanted to kill the hundreds-of-years-old leader of Arasaka, I would think, what kind of idiot is this? But now, although Arasaka has shown its anger, it still can't change the fact that its founder was crushed to death by this guy."

Lin Yue felt he needed to find some trouble with this guy named Stanley sometime.

Rin, who could have gradually faded from the public eye and kept hidden, has undoubtedly been brought back into the spotlight again...

You should know that Night City has no shortage of busybodies.

Even now, people are still searching for the whereabouts of Morgan Blackhand and other legendary figures.

"He's already surpassed Morgan Black Hand, having conquered Aragaka and Taipingzhou!"

"Some say he's still alive; even an explosion of that magnitude in Night City couldn't take his life... Others say he can change his appearance and hide in the crowd..."

"Hey buddy eating fast food, look back! He might be staring right at you listening to the show!"

"This guy, who's even more like a machine than Adam's hammer, will probably make you bunch of idiots stalking him sweat with fear..."

"Hahahaha!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Arasaka hung the body on Arasaka Tower for three days. Countless people have seen what this guy really looked like... Our legendary figure is finished. But... what if you're the next awesome guy like that?"

"I'm your old friend Stanley, see you tomorrow."

After listening to Stanley's brainwashing speech, Lin Yue guessed that there was another bunch of bastards on the street eager to get started.

What exactly is Stanley's intention in injecting so-called "dreams" into this city with its crumbling system?

Lin Yue reached out and tuned the Pacific Sound app, which played a piece of instrumental music that perfectly suited the evening breeze.

The two remained silent as Lin Yue savored the delicate fragrance emanating from V inside the car, enjoying this rare date.

"Tick-tock".

Lin Yue glanced at his phone, then immediately put it back.

He rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window with an expression of admiration for the seaside...

To be honest, the Dreamers had already transformed the garbage-strewn Taipingzhou Li Scenic Area. After the expulsion of the Sixth Street Gang, Emma used the marine purification solution preserved in the biotechnology apartment to eliminate the fishy smell in the air, leaving only a slightly salty odor. Even some UV-resistant coconut trees were planted on both sides of the road...

This beach is truly a beach!
"Bring it!"

A slender, delicate hand reached out to Lin Yue's side.

Thinking he had escaped a calamity, Lin Yue trembled and turned around, revealing the most innocent and confused look on Night City's face.

V glanced at Lin Yue with her beautiful eyes.

"Give it to me!"

The ending sound of V's words was slightly elongated.

Lin Yue thought about the content of the text message.

He sighed and obediently handed the phone to V.

It's so strange that a North American woman like V has so little respect for her own privacy... Unbelievable!

[Emma]: Aren't you coming yet, darling? What if I show you this?

【image】

V looked down at his phone as the car slowly came to a stop.

Her delicate fingers tapped on the keyboard. Looking at the picture, Lin Yue thought it would be more appropriate to tell Emma next time to send the text message to her brain.

The scariest thing about V is that she can express very few emotions on her face.

His expressionless gaze only made him more enigmatic.

"What brand is this clothing from?"

Lin Yue had a sudden thought, “BADG (Night City e-commerce).”

V turned his head away.

"Is it better than the fabric from Jinguji Temple?"

Lin Yue shut up completely this time.

He didn't want to be "sanctioned" by V anymore.

Although this method of sanctions is unconventional, it is... somewhat humiliating.

Seeing that Lin Yue was pretending to be dead, V didn't press the matter further.

V looked at the picture again; it really was a photo that would be perfect to send to a lover. Under Lin Yue's dumbfounded gaze, she made a peace sign with her hand, still in selfie mode.

[Lin Yue]: You have plenty of time, maybe you can wait a few hours or something? Sorry for taking up your time.

【image】

"get off."

Lin Yue hurriedly caught the phone V threw at him with both hands, also helpless about the current relationship between the two women—admittedly, Emma is a woman with great ambition and means, and she is unwilling to stop where she is.

Knowing he was in the wrong but thankful that V wasn't dwelling on the matter too much, Lin Yue got out of the car and then realized that the place V had chosen was quite interesting.

Even if Lin Yue were to turn to ashes, he would never forget that this was the first time he had been besieged by people using biotechnology. V and Arasaka's agents rushed to his aid. His small courtyard was a former abandoned villa in the Lijing Scenic Area that had been renovated.

Emma hadn't considered making any changes here either.

She knew that if everyone lived in the same place, there would be no conflict in the short term, but if the living conditions became different, she would feel unbalanced.

"Come on, let's get some fresh air... I also have some questions I'd like to ask you."

Lin Yue felt as if he had been deceived. "What kind of date is this?"

V ignored Lin Yue's attempts to renege on his promise, and simply pushed his shoulder. "Dating and this don't conflict. Is it my style to do things anywhere?"

"Alright, alright." Lin Yue shrugged helplessly. "I'll listen to your interrogation while I'm enjoying the sea breeze."

He was actually incredibly happy...

After all, he hadn't seen V for a while, and his promotion would inevitably bring more and more people watching him, and these people might not be from Arasaka's inner circle—other companies were also very interested in this young and beautiful director.

Therefore, V always takes a great risk when he comes to Taipingzhou, and Lin Yue cherishes these opportunities.

V rolled his eyes at the guy.

Sometimes Lin Yue is too smart, and sometimes he's like a fool who has no common sense.

"The wind is blowing from the land at night..."

Lin Yue was obviously unaware of this geographical knowledge, but that did not prevent him from being ridiculed by V, who was superior in both culture and martial arts.

"To be honest, it would be nice if the world stayed like this, at least we wouldn't have to fight to the death—but this scene in Taiping Continent won't last long."

"Some shady characters in Dogtown also want to get out..."

Lin Yue felt a headache for Emma.

V nodded.

"You don't seem worried at all?"

Lin Yue smiled without saying a word. V already had enough troubles. The colonel in Dogtown hadn't been behaving himself lately, but all of this was under control.

V, unusually, shed the aloof and unapproachable demeanor she displayed at Dreamer's and the company. Her slightly tight suit collar was undone, and she gripped the railing, making a beautiful sound of liberation.

Lin Yue was very jealous.

Which window did God close for this woman?

"Lin Yue."

"Ok?"

Why do you always keep things from me? Are you afraid I won't believe you?

Lin Yue lit a cigarette in silence for a moment, "Then what I told you before... something like 'I know what the future of this world will be like,' do you really believe me?"

V turned around and leaned lazily against the railing, her hair fluttering in the wind. "What if I had believed you later? After everything that's happened, could you have won against Lai Xuan, who had no chance of winning, just by relying on that intelligence program in your head that was once imprisoned by Arasaka?"

"I don't quite believe it."

"So your brain-computer interface overclocking is also because you know something? Something like this...?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment.

"That's it."

V nodded. She wasn't an impatient person; she was waiting for the person next to her to bring it up herself.

"V?"

"Huh? Why are you calling me V? Do you enjoy being the subordinate who gets controlled?"

“Uh… of course not, Valerie.”

V smiled with satisfaction.

"Valerie, we lost."

When Lin Yue calmly said those words, V also had a very composed expression on his face. "Lost? Do you mean in the future you see or know?"

"Hmm, so is there any way we can win?"

"You know... you're the expert in this area."

Lin Yue felt that V had a unique cuteness at this moment, like a cute little kid who knew that the earth was about to be destroyed and asked how to save the world.

"European Community".

"Hua Zi seems to have stabilized in space, although I don't know how she achieved all this... And the High Knight, how much do you know about these people?"

V replied, "The development rights for Project Cloudsea are not solely determined by the European Space Agency."

"Previously, only Jenkins knew a little bit about the counterintelligence department; most of it was in Abernathy's hands. Do you know what interesting thing I've discovered?"

“Abernathy had tried to reveal the details of the construction of the orbital accelerator for Project Arasaka Unkai to the High Knights. You asked me to keep a close eye on Frankfurt before, because Abernathy actually wanted to make his move here as well.”

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected that V's decision to not only listen to him but also pay close attention to Frankfurt had caused his planned conspiracy to fail.

"What exactly is going on with the European Space Agency and the High Knights? It seems that Arasaka and other company executives are calling these people space barbarians?"

Lin Yue is determined to get to the bottom of this today.

V was also happy to talk to Lin Yue about these things.

"Calling them space barbarians is indeed accurate, because these people have no concept of organization on Earth, and the various physical diseases they experience in space cause them to die out very quickly—"

“Some people don’t even consider the people on the ground to be of the same race as them; some even consider themselves gods.”

Lin Yue almost burst out laughing.

"I heard that the High Knights have taken control of several important mass projectors on the moon and in orbit, and have seized control of several of the European Space Agency's large-scale space stations, is that right?"

V indicates that this statement is correct.

"But the High Knights have to bow to the problem of food, and the European Space Agency has to bow to the problem of ground safety. It's a kind of mutual restraint."

"So the European Space Agency has been trying many methods in recent years... But, how should I put it? These High Knights are really smart. Whenever the European Space Agency makes a big move, they will use the Mass Projector."

"The European Space Agency and major companies even suspected at one point that these people might have some kind of inside agent on the ground."

Lin Yue nodded.

The connection between Night City and Europe is currently weak, or rather, the North American soil, which has witnessed several wars, is merely a stage for a confrontation between Ara-saka and military technology. It seems difficult for the European Community to use Night City as a window to make any disruptions.

"If you really want to do something to the European Community, the only means is the internet."

V pulled a separate chip from behind her hair and handed it to Lin Yue as she spoke.

Lin Yue took the separation chip and inserted it into the brain-computer interface without hesitation. V smiled slightly and waited patiently without any rush.

"These things only happened in the last two years?"

V nodded.

"because of you."

"The company discovered that someone like you could exist, so they tried every possible method to create monsters like you, and you saw it—"

"Toronto, Paris, New York, Philadelphia, and so on... have all experienced such heinous incidents caused by cyberbullying." "Dozens of lives are lost at a time; the Terrorist Mobile Unit's business has already expanded to other cities."

"Based on the current investigation results of Arasaka's agents throughout North America and Europe, it is highly questionable whether these experimental subjects have reached maturity."

Lin Yue pondered for a moment.

“I’ve looked at the frequency of these incidents… If they suddenly drop recently, it’s probably not because the company failed, but more likely because they’ve developed a product that they think can compete with mine, right?”

V nodded.

"We recently caught a corporate spy from Pedro Petrochemical. Can you guess what his purpose was in getting into Arasaka?"

"He wants to find details of how you were killed in Arasaka."

Lin Yue immediately became alert.

"Of course, if Peizhuo Petrochemical is reacting this way, other companies probably haven't given up on investigating you either. And it seems Peizhuo Petrochemical has realized that the riot in the company plaza wasn't simple..."

V shrugged. "If Arakasaka acts for you, he will only expose more of himself. If Saburo's death at this juncture is related to Yoriyuki, then those guys in Europe who want to overturn Yoriyuki's plans at any time will have even more reason to do so."

Lin Yue crushed the cigarette butt, its filter almost completely burned away, in his palm, watching it slowly drift away in the wind. "So you're planning to provide me with intelligence so my people can handle it, right?"

V nodded.

"But you haven't answered my question yet."

Lin Yue knew what V referred to.

"Cross-regional network operations—everything is unknown to me..."

V interrupted, "I'm a hacker too. Aren't European operations starting to align with North America's? We can definitely work together to gain the upper hand and gather information."

"I know you're planning to use a direct hacking approach, but don't forget I'm a top-notch counterintelligence hacker, and my personal involvement will reduce the risk of exposure."

Lin Yue listened quietly.

Valerie urged them again.

long silence.

Lin Yue felt the woman approaching. She hugged his broad arms and buried her nose deep in his clothes, inhaling the unique fragrance she loved.

"I gave you everything I had and myself, why couldn't you do that?"

It feels wonderful to be needed, affirmed, and supported.

V only released Lin Yue with a smile after Lin Yue agreed.

"Well, there's still plenty of time, but it's too late to go outside Taiping Island—I heard you have your own place there now?"

Before they knew it, the sky had darkened a bit. Looking into V's bright eyes, Lin Yue felt that North American girls were not shy at all in this regard.

"I don't have any alcohol."

Lin Yue wanted to play a trick; he desperately wanted to see V blush.

Unexpectedly, the woman took another step closer.

"It's okay, I can always find something to drink, right? Or are you planning to save some to comfort some heartbroken girl later?"

……
-
Dogtown.

Spa.

Under the cover of night, a large figure sat on the basketball court, which was already deserted.

Because of his skin color and dark maroon leather jacket, the only things that could be clearly seen were his bloodshot eyes, which were red from exhaustion, and some shiny red prosthetic decorations on the side of his cheek.

This is the third day since Li De infiltrated Dogtown.

Li De had a deep impression of this "doghouse." During the unification war, he and Song Zhaomei sat in a pavilion built against the mountain not far from here, which provided shelter from the wind and rain, and watched the moon...

Although the memories are beautiful, they can never replace the fact that this place is a dirty criminal kingdom.

But now Li De has to re-examine the complex situation in Dog Town. The reason is that Taiping Continent outside has left Li De feeling deeply confused.

The companies were tearing each other apart, but Taipingzhou, which had been abandoned, flourished with the support of its rival companies.

Even the lights in Dogtown were brighter, and the laser beams at the top of the pyramid-shaped tower, heavy with unspoken thoughts, pierced the night sky like a line, dividing the entire Dogtown into two distinct halves.

Li De was a highly experienced agent; gathering information was something this veteran lone wolf could do effortlessly.

Hansen, that old viper, seems to be completely under the thumb of the middleman and dreamer, the current queen who holds power in this area…

"Hey?"

A glimmer of light appeared in Li De's eyes in the darkness.

"Did you find it?"

"uh-huh…"

“Slippery Stripe couldn’t have died so easily. He just didn’t want to work for the Joint Logistics Command… The Voodoo Gang was completely eradicated from Pacific Island, but those bastards in Dogtown are definitely still hiding.”

"This guy is the only Haitian who's decent enough."

It's unclear what question was asked to Li De, but this burly man, who appeared highly professional and articulate, fell silent.

"Trust Xiao Song one more time."

"That's what Miles meant too. As long as we find evidence that the guy is still alive... I believe we can go back to where we belong."

The other person clearly found it hard to believe that Li De had such unwavering faith in his apprentice.

“That kid knows where he went wrong. If I could, I would rather Xiao Song remove that damn prosthetic body—as for New America, I have no desire for it.”

Tick.

After hanging up the phone, Li De clasped his hands together, clutching the phone tightly, and buried his head in his chest, seemingly lost in thought…

The changes at the Long Beach stockpile are tremendous.

Two years.

Where did his former agent friends, who had suffered the same fate as him and were abandoned by the new America, go? Li De had no clue.

Moth Bar has long since disappeared into the shantytown of the Long Beach stockpile.

The shantytown surrounding the tree commemorating the dead has been converted into safer housing, mostly residential houses. Li De inquired many times but couldn't find it.

So Li De simply turned his attention to the slider, hoping to use threats to force this guy, who had been caught red-handed, to work illegally.

The problem is that nobody can find the slider, and the work has suddenly become a deadlock.

Li De felt a deep sense of powerlessness. At that moment, a large cargo robot with a powerful searchlight shining down on the barren mountain of Dog Town was seen above Dog Town.

The moment Li De raised his head, he looked slightly terrifying with a quarter of his face replaced by a prosthetic.

His hand touched the cold, raised area on his face, which connected to his throat. The front third of Li De's body was made of cold prosthetics, and the place where his skin met the silver-white metal looked so strange.

Solomon remembered who had inflicted these wounds on him.

From the moment he woke up, Li De knew that his life had been saved by the new America…

A year ago, he applied to return to Night City from a nursing home in Washington, D.C., all because of his scars and what Miles had promised.

……

Li De still remembers lying on the clean white hospital bed for who knows how many weeks. Every day, when he was able to get up, he would look at the sunlight and green leaves outside the Joint Logistics Command Hospital.

With the fluttering new American flag, Li De, through a near-fatal operation, regained his chance to return to that run-down place far from Night City.

Li De thoroughly enjoyed this unsettling yet comforting existence…

But his intuition has always been accurate.

As Li De counted how many green leaves were on the branches outside, two burly security guards entered through the automatic door, which was usually used by medical staff to deliver meals and change dressings every day.

Joint Logistics Agency agents.

They only obey the orders of the new US president.

The badge on his chest sounded like the bell Pavlov used to ring when feeding his dog.

That is evidence of taming.

"Li De".

Li De felt that the sunlight that day was too dazzling.

This caused him to want to joke with Miles, but because his prosthetic eye couldn't adapt to the bright light, he had to lower his head.

"Miles?"

Miles's pristine white suit was too glaring.

There was a slight sinking feeling next to the bed. "I'm glad our New America soldiers didn't die in the chaos of Night City. Looks like they're quite skilled. You look great, Reed."

Li De didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.

The new America voluntarily abandoned itself and even let Song Zhaomei clean it up. If it weren't for her stern face and her awareness of surviving multiple brushes with death, Washington would probably just have another tombstone.

As for laughing... Li De never imagined that he would be rescued by the new America.

Li De wanted to question, wanted to vent, but a thousand words were stuck in his throat, and in the end he could only squeeze out one sentence: "Where is Xiao Song?"

Miles paused for a moment.

"She's fine. The girl just had some wicked thoughts, but she's loyal to the new United States."

"You were bedridden for six months, and she was bedridden for six months, but it's all over now—how are you feeling?"

Li De glanced at the new American logos on those prosthetic bodies.

He didn't feel excited; instead, he felt as if a heavy shackle was pressing down on him...

"Miles, what do you want?"

Li De knew this was a serious matter; if it weren't for Xiao Song's influence, he might never have served New America.

In his eyes, Xiao Song was only killing him because he had no choice but to accept Miles's orders.

“Li De…”

Miles seemed to want to explain something, but then shook his head as if giving up. "Although the past may confuse you, we need an outstanding intelligence officer like you."

"The world has changed, Li De."

“Solomon Reed, stand up and do your job well in the Joint Logistics Command in Washington, as compensation from this country to you.”

"You've already sworn an oath with your actions, here you go."

Miles left a badge for Reed.

This means that we've completely turned the page on that unpleasant past...

Strange to say.

In fact, during his year living in Washington, D.C., Li De never actually saw a lark. He only received a few phone calls from larks, either for holiday greetings or birthday wishes.

This illusion led Li De to believe that the new America had found Song Zhaomei a good place, and that she was now in good health…

He had always believed that only the medical care of New America could save Song Zhaomei…

Miles found him again a year later.

"Li De, meet with Xiao Song."

"She is no longer willing to cooperate with any action, but please remember to remain calm no matter what you see. New America is trying to help her."

And so Li De witnessed a scene he would never forget.

Song Zhaomei lay on the condensation platform, which resembled white jade. All four of her limbs had vanished, and four or five objects, each as thick as an adult's arm, extended outwards from her towards the giant servers in all directions…

Miles approached Li De because Song Zhaomei was unable to regain consciousness.

“Miles…”

After standing in the chilly room for a full ten minutes, Li De spoke his first words.

Miles behind him took a small step back.

"Li De, living is the most important thing. If we can dig up some more things, maybe we'll find something that can save Xiao Song."

"But you know... all of this is based on her needing to cooperate."

Just as Miles was calmly recounting these grand pronouncements as if he were speaking to a stranger…

Li De lost control of his emotions.

"Miles, you're telling me this is what you meant by 'everything is good'?!"

Reed was grabbed by the arms by his two juniors. "Have you gone mad, Solomon Reed? This is His Excellency the President!"

With his eyes bloodshot, Li De slowly lost the strength to struggle, and just silently watched Miles…

for a long time.

"Let Xiao Song go."

Is it a mistake not to persevere?

Miles gestured for the security guards to release Li De, and walked forward slowly, like a proud swan.

"Li De, is the enemy who caused all this really unimportant?"

"Xiao Song could have had a stable job with the Joint Logistics Command for several years, but he ended up like this because of a bastard in Dog Town who tried to pose a threat to our New America? Has New America really wronged Xiao Song?"

Li De, his head spinning, was panting heavily when he finally slumped against the side of the server that was emitting a faint warm breeze.

"Is it really impossible for Xiao Song's health to get better?"

"Everything could have been discussed and done properly. Xiao Song doesn't trust us, and now he doesn't even trust you?"

"Think it over carefully, Li De."

Li De shook his head.

"Now Li De has two choices: either Xiao Song dies and New America doesn't care, and she can be considered a hero of New America; or he goes to find the supporters of the real culprit behind all this."

"Do you know what that guy who almost killed you and Xiao Song did?"

“He killed Saburo Arakasaka.”

Li De suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Miles paced back and forth. "You want New America to believe these things aren't so simple? I'll give you some time to think it over. If you're willing, then return to Night City to help your loyal country, to help your friend or your beloved student, Song—"

"Of course, you can continue your work at the Joint Logistics Command in Washington."

Having said that, Miles strode out, until he passed by Li De, whose eyes were vacant.

Footsteps pattered…

Just as Miles was about to leave the electronics room—

"Let me try."

Miles stopped in his tracks.

With her back to Li De, a slight smile appeared on her lips…

But when I turned around, that strange expression seemed like an illusion.

"Okay, thank you for the hard work."

No one knows what Li De said to the lark inside. The Washington-based team of genius hackers initially concluded that the lark had voluntarily given up consciousness, but the lark eventually took the initiative to communicate.

However, this is limited to within the network.

……

Li De reminisced about his dreamlike life in Washington, and finally raised his head, which had been buried in his chest.

The wind in Dogtown was a bit chilly, so he had to wrap his leather jacket around himself and decided to find a run-down house to stay in for the night.

"Li De".

Ever since the lark was awakened, its communication with the outside world has been accompanied by a series of distorted, electrical sounds...

"Still haven't found Alex?"

Li De shook his head, but then the lark spoke up, "Finding Alex is no longer important. I found something online..."

“Li De, this can’t be discussed here. You know we could be monitored at any time.”

Li De frowned deeply.

“I have a way to solve this problem, but Xiao Song… this matter cannot be taken lightly. According to Miles, we need to find that person named Lin first.”

However, the lark said decisively, "Still here believing Miles's nonsense—that guy is dead."

"If you don't believe me, then find a device that is offline and disconnected, and I can tell you why Miles gave you an empty target."

Li De pondered for a long time.

"How to do?"

The lark said softly, "There's not enough time, and finding Alex won't help..."

Not enough time?
Li De felt increasingly that something was wrong with the nightingale's behavior today.

However, the lark's information-gathering ability was always better than his own ability to run around on foot. Since the lark wanted to show him evidence that Rin was indeed dead, he could only patiently listen to what the lark had to say...

“You know Washington monitors me by scanning the president’s authorization code every three minutes. If I find out that Miles has a meeting or visit that leaves the surface in two days… the signal will be interrupted, which will give me three minutes.”

"Tell me the exact time and I'll let Li De..."

"Three minutes won't cause any major problems, will it? Once you see these things, you'll know why Rin isn't alive."

Li De frowned deeply.

"Okay, I'll let you know tomorrow."

After a long pause, the lark finally said, "Thank you, Li De, for still believing in me."

Li De shook his head.

He tried to convince himself not to think about what the lark looked like now.

The call ended...

……

……

(End of this chapter)